Peter Bone, a Conservative, said it was "completely unnacceptable" for the Prime Minister not to appear in the Commons.

David Winnick, a Labour MP, said the decision suggested contempt for Parliament and could set a precedent for future summits.

Mr Swire was mocked by MPs when he admitted that he had not attended the European Council himself.

Bill Cash, a Conservative, asked him: “As it was the Prime Minister who negotiated at the European Council, shouldn’t the Prime Minister make the statement and answer all questions?”

The minister told MPs that because EU summits are now more frequent than in previous years, their conclusions are often less significant, suggesting that there is less need for MPs to debate them in detail.

He told Mr Cash that Mr Cameron had been focussed on dealing with Press regulation questions this week: "We did have Leveson this week, he'll have noticed."